With the sport of boating continuing to rise in popularity, lakes, rivers, and waterways are becoming more crowded than ever before. Unlike public roads and highways, there are no clearly marked lanes of operation for boats. Boaters must remain aware of their operating surroundings and alert other boaters to their presence. Currently, boating isn't as heavily regulated by governmental mandates as the automotive industry; therefore, the boating industry is self-reliant for developing new safety features that are vital to protect both the sport enthusiasts from potential dangers and the industry from any misguided forms of governmental regulation.
Anytime boaters gather along a sandbar, in a rafting party, or other crowded area, it becomes important to know which boats have their engines running. It is not always possible to hear due to wind, waves, music, or other factors.
Additionally, sunlight during late afternoon or early morning can cast deep shadows along the shoreline that can hide a boat operating close to shore.
Various arrangements have previously been disclosed involving lights and the operation of boats. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,788 to Mullins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,916 to Sokolowski, U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,009 to Schulte, U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,124 to Hulsey et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,757,851 to Clemons, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,986,056 to Neprud.
The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (a/k/a COLREGs) are published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). They are navigation rules for ships and vessels at sea to prevent collisions. Various of such regulations are for indicating emergency vehicles, towing vehicles, and dire distress situations. In some navigational circumstances, a strobe light may be indicated and its use regulated. The speed of a strobe flash, up to 50 to 70 flashes per minute, is generally higher than that of an intermittent signal. A strobe light is also typically of high intensity intermittent similar to a bright photographic flash.
In particular, various regulations (Navigation Rules) may allow for the use of a “high intensity white light flashing at regular intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute” (i.e. strobe light) as a distress signal. Otherwise, the use of “strobe lights” is prohibited for use as a “signal to attract attention”.
Certain regulations relate to the use of lights which may be displayed for so-called “public safety activities”, and may allow use of alternating red & yellow flashing lights at regular intervals of 120 flashes or more per minute. While not providing for any particular operational privilege on the waterway, such a light provides an identification purpose.
In other situations where it would be necessary or desirable to attract the attention of another vessel, a vessel may make light or sound signals so long as they could not be mistaken for any of the other such signals that are expressly authorized. This would mean for example, that for simply attracting the attention of (to be noticed by) another vessel, a system would need to avoid the use of high intensity intermittent or revolving lights, such as strobe lights.